Uchicago Argonne, LLC

Northwestern University

Richard D Schaller

Benjamin Diroll

Peijun Guo

Tijana Rajh

Robert P H Chang

John B Ketterson

Peng Wang

Elena A Rozhkova

Nada M Dimitrijevic

Shankar G Balasubramanian

Colloidal quantum wells have discrete energy states and electrons in the quantum wells undergo interband and intersubband state transitions. The transmissivity of a colloidal quantum well may be tuned by actively controlling the states of the colloidal quantum wells enabling ultrafast optical switching. A primary excitation source is configured to provide a primary excitation to promote a colloidal quantum well from a ground state to a first excitation state. A secondary excitation source is configured to provide a secondary excitation to the colloidal quantum well to promote the colloidal quantum well from the first excitation state to the second excitation state with the first and second excitation states being subbands in the conduction band of the colloidal quantum well.

Ultrafast optical switches using quantum wells

An article of manufacture comprising doped, colloidal nanostructures that are configured to have a plasmonic response to light of a first resonance wavelength.

Systems and methods for ultrafast plasmonic response in doped, colloidal nanostructures

An optically emissive material and, in particular, materials for use in single photon generation technologies, have multiple excited energy states that have different decay rates and can emit photons with different properties. A primary excitation radiation source is configured to apply primary radiation to an optically emissive material to excite the optically emissive material into a primary excited state. A secondary excitation radiation source is configured to apply secondary radiation to a thermal contribution material to generate thermal energy in the thermal contribution material. The thermal contribution material is physically configured to transfer thermal energy to the optically emissive material and excite the optically emissive material from the primary excited state to a secondary excited state for dynamic control of the emission rate, or emitted photon properties, of the optically emissive material.

Method for dynamic control of light emission from phosphors with heat excitations

A dielectric-coating based technique determines the refractive index of small dimension materials. The technique utilizes a sample of the small dimension material coated with the dielectric and an uncoated sample, where reflectivity is determined for each. The real and imaginary components of the refractive index can be determined for the small-dimension material itself.

Method of characterizing the anisotropic, complex dielectric constant for materials with small dimensions

Disclosed herein is a method of optical modulation, the method comprising irradiating an optical switch with a control beam at a first control time and irradiating the optical switch with a signal beam at a signal time. The transmitted intensity of the signal beam in a direction depends on the delay time between the first control time and the signal time and the transmitted intensity of the signal beam in the direction is detectably different than a static signal. The optical switch comprises a nanorod array, the nanorod array comprising a plurality of nanorods extending outwardly from a substrate.

Ultrafast all-optical modulation of the visible and infrared spectrum with nanorod arrays

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an efficient entirely man-made nanobio hybrid fabricated through cell-free expression of transmembrane proton pump followed by assembly of the synthetic protein architecture with semiconductor nanoparticles for photocatalytic Hevolution. The system produces Hat a turnover rate of 240 &#x3bc;mol of H(&#x3bc;mol protein)hunder green and 17.74 mmol of H(&#x3bc;mol protein)hunder white light at ambient conditions, in water at neutral pH with methanol as a sacrificial electron donor. Robsutness and flexibility of this approach allows for systemic manipulation at nanoparticle-bio interface toward directed evolution of energy materials and devices.

Semiconductor-metal nanoparticle hybrids with natural and artificial proton pump for hydrogen production

A method for forming inorganic structures includes (a) transferring nanocrystals to a polar protic solvent using at least one chalcogenide precursor to produce a negatively-charged chalcogen-rich nanocrystal surface, (b) removing excess anions of the chalcogenide precursor, (c) introducing a metal salt to bind a divalent metal cation to the negatively-charged chalcogen-rich nanocrystal surface to regenerate a positively-charged metal-rich nanocrystal surface, and (d) removing excess divalent metal cations of the metal acetate salt.

Growing community of inventors

Clarendon Hills, IL, United States of America

Richard D Schaller